Waking Up Famous Coma Survivors - Healthy Living Center - Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Healthy Living Waking Up Famous Coma Survivors A South African man recently emerged from a seven-year coma after being given a sleeping pill similar to Ambien. Not everyone who is in a coma will come out of it, but stories such as his and others provide hope for families caring for a comatose relative. By Jeffrey KopmanReviewed: September 10, 2012Fact-CheckedComa is a period of prolonged unconsciousness, a coma can be caused by injury or physical illness — and in rare cases induced by doctors as a treatment option. Recovery is unpredictable and sometimes inexplicable. Seven years after a horrific car accident, South African Ayanda Nqinana finally awoke in early September, 2012. Ironically, the "miracle cure" for Nqinana was a sleeping pill similar to Ambien. Nqinana's story is proof that sometimes hope and patience prevail, as miraculous awakenings have been reported for patients in comas as long as 19 years. Ayanda Nqinana 7-Year Coma Coma survivor Ayanda Nqinana's story is truly unique. His coma lasted seven years, from 2005 until 2012. As is the case with many other high-profile comas, Nqinana's was caused by a car accident. Unlike other comas revivals, his was sparked by a regimen of Stilnox, a sleeping pill similar to Ambien. Based on amateur research conducted by Nqinana's wife, Nomfundo, doctors agreed to treat Nqinana with Stilnox. After five days of treatment, Nqinana's seven-year coma was over. Nqinana is one example of a multi-year coma survivor, but he is not the only one to experience such an improbable recovery. Terry Wallis 19-Year Coma Another car accident victim, Terry Wallis, suffered a brain injury that caused what turned out to be a record coma. In 1984, Wallis's pickup truck was thrown off a small bridge, in Stone County, Ark., killing another passenger. The accident left Wallis a quadriplegic, but amazingly, he was still alive upon arrival at a local hospital. After a few months, his coma had stabilized into a "minimally conscious state," but there was little reason to believe Wallis would survive and regain consciousness. Those odds looked increasingly grimmer with each passing year. Wallis's wife, Sandi, and new born daughter, Amber, were left to question if they would ever see Wallis "alive" again. Their questions were answered on June 11, 2003, as, incredibly, Wallis awoke from his 19-year coma — making him the survivor of the longest coma on record, matched, in years, by only one other person. Photo Credit: Brian Chilson/AP Photo Jan Grzebski 19-Year Coma The second 19-year coma survivor was a Polish man named Jan Grzebski. A railroad worker, Grzebski, 46, suffered his coma in 1988 in what was initially believed to be a workplace accident but was later attributed to a 5-centimeter brain tumor. Grzebski was able to survive the tumor, and eventually emerged from his coma in 2006. In an interview after he woke up, Grzebski admitted to being overwhelmed by the abundance of foods in his local shops, cell phones, and the fall of communism. Unfortunately, Grzebski passed away two years after waking up from his coma. The cause of death was a heart attack, believed to be related to the coma. Photo Credit: AP Photo Evel Knievel 29 Days Perhaps the most famous stuntman of all time, Knievel was known for punishing his body. One of his most memorable performances took place on New Year's Eve 1967. Knievel attempted to jump over the famous fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He cleared the fountains but the landing failed, and he had a horrific crash in front of a national television audience. The crash resulted in a broken pelvis, fractured ribs, and a fractured skull. Knievel spent the next 29 days in a coma. Photo Credit: Chris O'Meara/AP Photo Rip Van Winkle 20-Year Coma and Philip J Fry 1 000-Year Coma These two characters might be works of fiction, but with our ever-expanding knowledge of comas, they might become the art that lives are imitating. Washington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle" tells the story of a colonial husband trying to skip out on his household chores. After enjoying some liquor, Rip falls into a deep sleep. When he regains consciousness, he realizes that his deep sleep was deeper than he could have possibly imagined: 20 years have passed, the American Revolution has ended, and another man with Rip's exact name is revealed to be his son.The Rip Van Winkle tale inspired another coma-like story from Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Philip J. Fry, the main character of Groening's cartoon Futurama, is a pizza delivery boy who was cryonically frozen in the year 1999. The series begins with Fry being revived from his freeze-induced coma in the year 2999. Similar to Rip Van Winkle, Fry has a difficult time adjusting to his new era. The ultimate outcome of a forced coma through cryonics remains unknown, but that hasn't stopped approximately 250 people from trying to be the real-life Philip J. Fry: They've had themselves cryonically frozen and are patiently awaiting their awakenings. Most Recent in Healthy Living 9 Dance Workouts to Try at Home or Stream From Anywhere 7 Health Benefits Linked to Doing Pilates 5 Health Benefits of Taking a Bath Plus 5 Healthy Add-Ins for Your Next Soak Health Makers Alex Timmons 34 Co-Owner of Mountain TrekNEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Living Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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